Changing Fate
by AnimeWolfGirl16
Summary: What if Inaho and Asseylum had escaped during the battle? What if she had never met Klancain? What if things were changed? AsseylumXInaho (Alternate ending to 2nd Cour)
1. Prologue

**This fanfiction is dedicated to the guest 'Tarn' who was the one to suggest this brilliant idea. :) I apologize for it being so late in posting but school has kept me from putting this idea into writing. I hope this is as great as you wanted it to be.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, etc. in Aldnoah Zero. It all belongs to their respectful owners.**

* * *

Prologue

 _I can't just leave him here, despite what he told me._ Asseylum thought as she came to that one conclusion. Leaving Inaho here would be like leaving a part of herself, it just wouldn't be right. She thought back to what Inaho had told her, or rather what he had told her while he was unconscious.

" _Even though he is aware that Princess Asseylum is a separate individual, he misidentifies her as a part of himself"_

She went to grab his arm, knowing that although it might lead to their downfall, she couldn't leave him, ever.

 _I think of you the same, Inaho._

"Milady?" She heard Eddelrittuo ask, and she tried to pull on Inaho's arm, despite knowing that she would need help.

"Please, help me move him." She stated, while trying again, only succeeding in moving him a small amount. She glanced back at her friend, seeing the torn and scared expression in her eyes.

"But… what about the 'help' that he mentioned?" Asseylum tore her gaze away from Eddelrittuo and back towards Inaho.

"That 'help' might not be coming. I'd rather take my chances and bring him with us than leave him here alone."

 _I know him too well by now… even if it meant sacrificing himself, he would save everyone else… me including…_

She pulled again, before moving towards his head, moving her arms beneath his and pulling, noting that it moved him a bit more.

"Please." She stated desperately again, feeling tears of frustration beginning to appear. "I can't…" She broke off, knowing that it she continued, she would break.

 _But I can't break down now, Inaho needs me._

She glanced towards Eddelrittuo when Inaho got a little lighter. The younger girl was giving her a determined look, trying to hold Inaho's feet off of the ground.

"Sorry, milady, but this is all I can do…" Her friend trailed off and Asseylum gave her a bright smile.

"That's great Eddelrittuo! Do you think you could direct me towards the F3 gate lock? " Her friend nodded, and she tried to pull, wincing when his body hit one of the grates on the floor. She tried pulling again, moving Inaho towards the doors that lead towards the F3 gate lock.

 _I have to contact Inko…_

* * *

 **So for all of you InahoXAsseylum fans out there, it's up to you about whether or not I continue this. I have an idea but I want to know if it's something worth reading first. I'm calling it the 'Prologue' in case I do continue. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!  
-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	2. Chapter 1

**WayFarer2000:** Here is the next chapter! Sorry it's a bit short.

 **Amir-015:** Glad to see your enthusiasm!

 **Pandaemic:** I completely understand with the whole 500 word count thing (I sometimes think that as well). Here's the next chapter!

 **chronotimeguard:** Despite knowing that there probably won't be a second season, I still hope there will be one and she ends up with Inaho. :)

 **Blank ojou-sama:** I will continue this fanfiction although it might take a bit longer to update since I'm trying my best to prewrite in my spare time.

 **Tarn (Guest):** School always tends to keep all of us fanfiction people busy. :)

* * *

Chapter 1

It had been a long pull towards the F3 gate lock. They had to stop every once in a while to regain their breath, all the while, Inaho was still unconscious. She looked down worriedly at the wounds that he had.

 _Did Slaine and him…?_ She briefly wondered before shaking her head and pulling again. They had had to avoid the hanger due to it being under fire, and she now knew that her only hope was Inko. Her first plan had been to grab a vessel and make their way off of the base, but that had been derailed.

"Take the next right." She heard Eddelrittuo say and she briefly wondered if they were close. Her friend had kept glancing worriedly behind her, although no one had found them yet.

 _This means that I must have been right…_ She thought as she stared down at Inaho, slowly pulling him towards the F3 gate lock. She sighed, feeling sadness fill her for a moment. _Why did you lie? If we had left you there…_

She fought off a shiver at the thought, knowing that he could have been killed in the crossfire.

 _And then where would we be…?_

She winced again when they hit a bump and she quickly glanced down to make sure Inaho wasn't in more pain.

 _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…_ She thought each time they hit or ran into something. She didn't want him to get more injured than he already was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something against her back. She glanced behind her, feeling hope hit her when she saw it was a wall with the giant letters 'F3' printed on the wall. She glanced around to see if there was a panel before carefully setting Inaho down. She glanced back, seeing Eddelrittuo looking to see if anyone was coming.

 _Almost there…_

She turned her attention back towards the panel on the wall, wondering how she was going to make contact with Inko.

"Um… Eddelrittuo? Do you know how…?" She broke off as her friend gave her a smile before coming toward the panel. Asseylum couldn't help but feel a bit useless.

 _If I can't do anything to help, then what else can I do…?_ She sighed as she waited for Eddelrittuo to make the connection. _It's all my fault that this is happening…_

"Connection made milady.'" Eddelrittuo smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

" _Inaho? Is that you?"_ She heard Inko ask from the connection. She shook her head, despite knowing that the girl couldn't see her, before replying.

"No this is-" She started before the girl gave a surprised gasp.

" _Princess! Is Inaho with you?"_

"Yes." Asseylum stated, before looking down worriedly at her friend. "But he doesn't seem to be very well… He still hasn't woken up…" She felt the tears come back and she tried to choke down a sob. There was silence for a moment on the connection, and she most likely knew that the girl was worrying as well.

" _I'll come get you."_ Inko stated before the line cut off. Despite knowing that the girl couldn't hear her, she whispered,

"Please hurry."

She glanced fearfully back when she heard footsteps from where they had come.

"Can you close the gate?" She asked Eddelrittuo, feeling fear build in her. Her friend noticed the slightly panicked look in her eyes and nodded, before pressing a button and the gate began to close.

 _It's too slow…_

Her fear was confirmed when gunshots entered the room, and she moved towards the wall before bending down and dragging Inaho a bit closer.

 _Please hurry…_

* * *

 **So the continuation chapter is released! :) Just to let everyone know, I plan on continuing this fanfiction due to the positive feedback although it might take a bit longer to update sometimes due to me trying to prewrite chapters in my spare time. Although this chapter isn't much longer than the first (only a little over 700 words this time minus the author's note), I still hope that it makes you all excited. :) Also, I'm sorry if I write Inko wrong. She just seems to be harder to write for me so far. Until next time, have a great day! Happy graduation to all 2015 seniors, including myself, we all survived high school! :)**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	3. Chapter 2

**Pandaemic:** Yeah school can be a pain. Although it's summer now so let the fun begin! :)

 **unafraid:** I'll try to put her in as much as possible but she is harder for me to write.

 **chronotimeguard:** I completely agree with you. Lately there are just too many yaoi fanfictions right now. Hopefully this chapter is as good as you wanted it to be!

 **Onjira1998 (Previously known as 'Tarn'):** That's great! If you make any fanfictions let me know and I'll read them in my spare time. :) Thanks so much! Hopefully I'll be able to write a ton during the summer before college starts.

 **blakraven66:** I agree. Here's the next chapter!

 **Benolition:** Here's the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2

Asseylum sat with bated breath outside the room in which Inaho was being treated. They had made it back to the Deucalion in time, although she still couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't safe. Most of the crew regarded her with suspicion and anger, a stark contrast to when she had last been here.

 _Don't blame them… a lot has happened since then…_

She thought back to what had happened before Inko had come to get them.

 _ **Fear ran rapid as the gunshots continued to come, nothing seeming to stop them. She knew that they would be stopped when the gate was closed, but it was moving far too slowly…**_

 **At this rate…**

 _ **She winced as another gunshot hit near where they were huddled together, trying to stay out of reach. Despite the gate closing a bit more each second, Asseylum was still afraid.**_

 **Even if just one bullet makes its way through before we escape…**

 _ **She shivered and pulled Inaho closer, with Eddelrittuo huddling near her, shaking in fear. She glanced down to see tears in the younger girl's eyes, and she couldn't help but feel some slide down her face.**_

 **Even if the doors close, whoever's out there could still get through before they do…**

 _ **She knew that her thoughts weren't helping her fear, but she seemed to be unable to stop them from entering her head. She glanced down at the unconscious Inaho, before back up towards the closing gate.**_

 **We can't fight back…**

 _ **They had no weapons; with the one that Inaho had being left back in the hallway where they had dragged him from.**_

 **Please hurry…**

 _ **She couldn't help but making the silent plea again before she heard a pained cry come from outside the door. Something dropped heavily to the ground and the gunshots stopped.**_

 **Slaine?**

 _ **She couldn't stop the thought that entered her head, and she silently scolded herself. She knew that he had changed and that hurt her. She still wanted to believe that he could change, but it wouldn't be good for him to come here right now. She glanced down towards Inaho before she shivered again.**_

 **Inaho would get hurt…**

 _ **She pulled him closer when hurried footsteps came towards the gate. She noted that it was inches away from closing. She was just able to glance some blond hair and light skin in a red uniform before the gate shut completely.**_

" _ **Princess!" She shook at the voice that called out from beyond the door. She didn't recognize it but she still felt pain at the desperate voice.**_

 **I'm sorry… I can't let you in…** _ **She made the silent promise, as tears dropped from her eyes as the man continued to pound on the door.**_

She shook her head again when she felt the tears return a bit.

 _You're just tired, that's all…_

She tried to convince herself when she winced as one of the doors on the other side of the hallway open. She tried to relax her grip on her dress, as she desperately wished that Eddelrittuo was here.

The younger girl had been given a room and some food. The same thing had been done for Asseylum but she wouldn't leave until she knew that Inaho would be ok.

"I thought I might find you here." She glanced up when she heard Inko's voice. The girl looked as tired as she felt, and Asseylum briefly wondered if she was here for a silent visage over Inaho as he was healed as well.

"Hello Inko…" She trailed off, not quite sure how to talk with the girl. Most of the people who she had tried to talk with had been rude and angry, blaming everything on her.

 _Although it is my fault to begin with…_

She was broken out of her thoughts when Inko came to sit on the bench beside her.

"Just ignore everyone else." The girl stated and Asseylum couldn't help but look over at her in surprise. Inko laughed a bit at this before giving her a tired smile.

"The war has been hard on everyone. They're just taxed from the work…" Inko seemed like she was almost trying to convince herself as well, and Asseylum couldn't help the guilt that flooded her.

 _If I hadn't come to Earth…_

"I'm sorry." She whispered and the other girl looked over at her in surprise and confusion.

"For what?" Asseylum bit her lip, trying to find the right way to apologize.

"For… if I hadn't come to Earth, then none of this would have happened and you all would have-" Inko cut her off by putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see the other girl smiling over at her.

"Don't be. Sure things would be different, but the war would have most likely still happened whether or not you would have come. At least this way, I have a new friend." At this, Asseylum couldn't help but let out a small laugh, with Inko following her a moment later.

 _Friends… I guess I never really thought of it that way before._

* * *

 **So I felt like I owed you all another chapter for all of the positive reviews. :) This one is a bit longer than the previous ones but not too long. Hopefully I'll be able to release another one this month before too long. Also, thank you so much for your patience so far for this story. While I have to admit that I don't have the best updating schedule out there, I have great reviewers who make writing this possible. Have a great day!**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	4. Chapter 3

**unafraid:** I completely agree there. :)

 **Onjira1998:** The next chapter is here! I'll read yours when you post it, just let me know. :)

 **chronotimeguard:** I agree, character development is very important in stories.

 **xxxasura08 (Guest):** Don't worry, I will. :)

 **xxxskynetxxx (Guest):** Here's the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Asseylum jolted awake, fear instantly hitting her when she didn't recognize her surroundings. She looked around the room, which had a set of bunk beds and some chairs on the other end of the small room.

 _Where… am I?_

She vaguely remembered taking to Inko but after that, everything seemed to go blank.

 _I must still be on the Deucalion…_

She looked over towards the door when it opened, feeling a bit apprehensive at first before she saw who it was.

"Good morning Eddelrittuo." She tried to smile, but found it a bit hard. She still felt tensed up, as if they were on enemy territory…

"Morning milady!" Her friend replied enthusiastically, as she set down a tray of food. Asseylum looked over at it curiously, slightly wondering why her friend was up this early in the morning.

 _Shouldn't she still be trying to get some more sleep?_

Eddelrittuo must have noticed her confused look because she tilted her head before asking,

"Is everything alright milady?" Asseylum nodded, her thinking suddenly becoming a bit muddled.

"Yes it's just…" She cut off, trying to focus on the one thought that tried to escape her. She gasped in surprise when she was able to grasp the thought. "Inaho!"

She quickly stood up and began making her way over to the door, intent on going to see him. She berated herself for forgetting, even if it just was for a moment.

 _He never once forgot and here I am acting like things are normal…_

A small hand quickly grasped hers and she looked down to see Eddelrittuo looking at her, her expression soft. She was quickly guided back towards the bed.

"Inaho is fine for now. He seems to be making great progress towards recovery." She sat down when her friend grabbed a brush and scanned over how Asseylum looked, frowning slightly. "That won't do…"

Asseylum quickly realized that she probably didn't look presentable.

 _But Inaho…_

Her urge to be by his side almost set her off running when Eddelrittuo loosened the braid that was on top of her head, allowing the rest of the hair to flow down. Asseylum winced when the brush caught on a few strands of her hair.

 _At least get your hair combed…_

She looked down at her outfit, frowning a bit when she realized that it would hinder her movements. She glanced around the room, but couldn't see a change of clothes. She sighed, sitting still while her hair was combed.

 _I'll have to look for something later…_

Eddelrittuo moved to braid the strand of hair again but Asseylum stopped her.

"Its fine the way it is but thank you though." She quickly stated, standing up to once again move towards the door.

"Milady?" Asseylum turned back towards her friend, feeling her face heat up at the fact that the tray still sat untouched. She sighed before walking over to the plate, figuring that Eddelrittuo wouldn't let her leave before she ate something.

 _If I eat quickly then I can get to him faster…_

* * *

She felt apprehension enter her as she stood outside of Inaho's recovery room. She was excited to see him and yet she didn't know whether or not to believe that he was in there, awake.

 _It's my fault that he's in there in the first place…_

Despite her eagerness to see him, she still couldn't shake away the fear. As if something was very wrong…

 _The war's supposedly over…_

Inko had told her while they had been talking the night before.

 _But what if…_

She shook her head before finding a small amount of courage to enter the room. She pushed the door open a crack and peered through. Heat filled her face whenever she noticed that Inaho wasn't alone. Inko lay sleeping peacefully with her head lying on the bed, with Inaho also being asleep.

Despair immediately hit her and then guilt. She carefully backed away from the door, closing it quietly behind her before going to sit over on the bench she had been on a few hours before.

 _It only makes sense that she's with him but…_

She felt out of place. Was this how it had been while she was in a coma?

 _I couldn't be there for him…_

She felt tears begin to enter her eyes, and she quickly rose, intent on making her way back to her room.

 _I'll see him later…_ She thought, trying to convince herself but somehow found that the thought made her more upset.

* * *

 **Not much happening in this chapter but hopefully you still enjoyed it. This is my present to all of you for today being my birthday! :) Hopefully my writing gets better since I'm another year older. Please let me know what you thought in a review! Have a nice day!  
-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	5. Chapter 4

**Majin-kun:** I'll try my best with what I can create between the two. Slaine is… interesting in this fanfiction. He will be in it but not as a main character, more of a 'this happened to him' type. Yep :) the good old love triangle. Going to be interesting things happening between the three characters from now on. That's ok, I completely understand about word count. Sometimes I can write longer chapters and others not so much. Any review just gives me motivation to write. :)

* * *

Chapter 4

The doctors said that he could be asleep like that for at least a few more days. This had caused Asseylum to instantly worry. No matter how hard she wished it, he just wouldn't wake up. Each day that passed, she said a prayer.

 _Please be the day I get to see you awake and ok…_

But each day she was met with disappointment. He had yet to wake up and every day that passed seemed to be a dagger plunging into her heart. She found herself eating less, in favor of going and seeing Inaho, desperately hoping that he would be awake that day.

This is what had led to her being awake early in the morning, sitting by Inaho's bedside. Various tubes and monitors were hooked up to him, which only caused her to worry more. The doctors had tried to reassure her that they were just to make sure that he was healing but she was still worried.

 _What if his heart stops…?_ She thought in worry as she glanced over at the heart monitor a little ways away from the bed. She let out a pent up breath before glancing down at Inaho.

 _It won't, he's stronger than that…_

The longer she stared at him, the more she longed to see his red eyes. She brushed back a strand of hair that fell out of place on his face and she couldn't help but feel curiosity fill her.

 _Am I really that important to you that you would risk your life for me?_ She thought before giving a small smile when she recalled his words. She moved her other hand to clasp his, hoping that he could feel her warmth and would return to her.

"I love you too…" She whispered, knowing that her feelings were returned, making warmth fill her. She had never felt this way for someone else, it was new, strange, exciting. Her hope lifted when she thought she felt his hand twitch, but as she stared at his face, his breathing stayed the same as ever.

 _Even if it's a start, I won't leave you ever, no matter how long it takes. You didn't give up on me and I refuse to give up on you now._

* * *

 **So I really am sorry for the short chapter this time. I've been busy trying to get ready for college… (plus I feel like I need to re-watch the anime to get into a more AsseylumXInaho mood if you all get what I mean :) ) So this chapter is more of an Asseylum worries over Inaho one, although the next chapter is one that most you of might be looking forward to. :) *hint hint* Until the next update though, have a great week!  
-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	6. Chapter 5

**Majin-kun:** You're right about the less mecha wars thing although I will still try to add in a bit of action. Just not too much since I'm not the best writer at that kind of thing.

 **Queen Rainbows:** Thanks for all the support! It really means a lot to me to have such supportive reviewers! Hopefully if once I have more time to write I can try to make more chapters longer.

 **Onjira1998:** The next chapter is here! And it has Inaho in it! Although I'm not quite sure whether I wrote him right… Thanks for the support and enthusiasm!

* * *

Chapter 5

She had left her room immediately when she had heard that Inaho was awake. She didn't care how she looked, her hair a tangled mess with a white sleeping gown on that was see through in some parts, just that Inaho was finally awake.

It had been a few days after, just as the doctors had said, but the only thought going through her head was that she had to see him. Her bare feet hit the ground hard and she nearly slipped when she made the turn towards the room Inaho was in, but caught herself from falling. She burst through the doors, not caring that Inaho's friends were there, including Inko, as well as the many doctors milling about. Her sole focus was on the figure in the bed, sitting up awake.

 _He's finally awake…_

She just stared at him, as he turned his gaze towards her. He smiled and she felt relief hit her that he was ok.

"Morning Seylum." He stated, like it was just another day. Like none of the past few years had happened, with them being separated. Tears sprang to her eyes and she stumbled over to the bed, where she collapsed once she was near enough to touch him. The tears spilled over then as she took his hand and pulled it towards her, feeling his heart beat through it. She shook, trying to hold all her emotions in, but ultimately they won. She sobbed, not really caring if anyone saw her.

 _He's alive…_

She felt Inaho shift on the bed, and hands were suddenly on her shoulders, moving her away a bit. She glanced up to see Inaho looking down at her, relief in his eyes. She was suddenly pulled in for a hug and she felt like she was melting.

"I'm so glad you're okay." His breathless reply made her look at him in worry. He did seem exhausted…

 _But he's been sleeping for all these days, so how could he be tired?_

Inaho caught her worried glanced before he smiled at her, stroking her hair at bit.

"I'm fine. Please, just let me stay like this for a few more minutes…" She would have stayed like that even if he hadn't asked it of her. His warmth instantly made her feel as if she was safe, the pain and worry over the past few days fading. She didn't even know if he had heard her while he had been out, but his reaction made her doubt that he did.

 _I can tell him again…_

She clung to him as he did to her, with her careful not to hurt his still healing wounds. She could feel his breathing evening out, and she couldn't help but listen to it so intently.

 _He's breathing, he's alive…_

She felt a smile make its way onto her face before her own breathing began to match him. She didn't mind staying like this; it was a lot better with him here, with his weight pressed against her.

 _It could have been a lot worse…_

* * *

She blinked her eyes open, slowly at first as she got used to the light. She could still hear his slow breathing and they were in the same position that they had been in before they had fallen asleep. She tried to glance around, noticing that Inaho's friends had left, maybe to give the two some privacy. Her face instantly heated up at this and she stared up at Inaho's sleeping face.

 _He's so peaceful…_

She carefully removed his arms, and moved him so that he was lying down. She didn't want to leave, but she figured that she could at least go and get some food for the both of them…

 _I wonder what he would want…?_

She sat on the side of the bed, staring at his sleeping face, feeling torn. Most of her wanted to stay here with him, with the other smaller part wanted to make sure he was well fed.

 _He's been out for a few days; he needs to eat something…_

She was about to get up, but stopped when she felt Inaho shift on the bed.

"Seylum…" He whispered and she looked down, for a moment thinking that he was awake again before seeing his sleeping face. She leaned a bit closer when it looked like he was whispering something else but she couldn't hear what it was.

"Yes…?" She whispered back, although she knew he was just dreaming. She was surprised when instead of an answer; an arm snaked around her waist and drew her down on the bed. She knew for the warmth that it had to be Inaho, but he was asleep…

 _So how can he?_

She thought back to his one eye, the one that was replaced…

 _Could it be doing this…?_

She felt her face get hot when she was drawn closer and she held in a breath, not wanting to wake him up. They were mere inches away now, so close that she could kiss him… His slow breaths, made her quicker ones match his. She leaned closer and placed a small kiss on his forehead. She didn't try to move away, and she had to hold in a small laugh.

 _I guess Inaho decided for me which he wanted…_

* * *

 **So I'm not going to lie, writing Inaho for me is hard and I'm not quite sure if I made him OOC at all so I would appreciate feedback for specifically that. Also, I just started college and so far it's a lot harder than I was anticipating. I apologize, and hate saying this, but updates might take more time. I appreciate how supportive and patient you have all been with me only updating once or twice a month as well. I promise that I'll try to write this in my spare time, as well as re-watching more InahoXAsseylum episodes for the show, to help. I hope you're all not too upset with me… Until the next update!**

 **P.S.- I'm not quite sure what's going on with my email but I'm currently not getting any updates/reviews/favorite/PMs notices from fanticion. So next time I post, if I miss you because I didn't get a notification, I apologize ahead of time.**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	7. Chapter 6

**Eramis8:** Glad to know. :) It's hard to write a character when they show little emotion in shows.

 **Majin-kun:** The next chapter does actually have a conversation between Asseylum and Inko centered around Inaho. I'll try to keep the pointless conversations to a minimum but there might be a few in there just for character development.

* * *

Chapter 6

Asseylum hummed as she stirred the pot again, glancing behind her at the various ingredients that were stated to be in the dish. She had went back to her room late last night, allowing both her and Inaho to get some proper sleep, which led to her realizing that she hadn't gotten him anything to eat.

 _He needs to keep his strength up._

The doctors had said that as long as he continued to eat and rest, he should be able to move about in a few days. This had caused Asseylum to decide to make Inaho some food. Not that the cafeteria food aboard the Deucalion wasn't good, she just decided that it might be a nice change for him.

 _Even though he's been asleep, some homemade food might taste better…_

She glanced towards the small container that she had grabbed before moving it a bit closer, feeling like the soup was almost done according to the timer that she had set.

 _I hope he likes it…_

* * *

She walked towards where Inaho was staying, humming all the way. She had brought a bowl, a big and small spoon, and the container clutched in her hands. Luckily the soup was still hot but not to the point in which he couldn't eat it.

 _Plus he'll have some for later as well._

It took a moment longer for her to get the door open, the door handle making it hard to get with the containers in her hands. She quietly slipped inside, watching with a smile as Inaho stared out the viewing port in the room at the stars.

 _That's another thing that we both share. A love of all things._

He must have noticed her there because he smiled over at her, with her smile growing as well.

"Morning Seylum." He stated and she walked a bit closer to his bed, suddenly feeling shy.

"Morning Inaho. Did you sleep well?" She asked, laying the containers down on the bedside table beside him. He nodded, glancing at her before back out the viewing point for a second before back at her.

"Very well. What did you bring?" He gestured towards the soup and she felt a light blush make its way onto her face as she picked up the container, holding it out for him to see.

"I made some soup for you. I thought you might be hungry after not eating for so long."

She grabbed the bowl and spoons, setting them on the sliding table in front of him before moving to open the soup container, putting a small amount in at first so that he could taste it a bit. She glanced back at Inaho to see his face, which didn't really give anything away but she didn't mind.

In all the time they had been together, she had learned that he wasn't very expressive but that was fine by her. She sometimes didn't express what she was feeling, not a lot of the time, but on those rare occasions.

 _We're like two sides of the same coin…_

She felt a light blush again before she watched as Inaho picked up the spoon and dipped it into the soup, hesitating a bit when he brought it up to his mouth. She frowned a bit at this, wondering what might be wrong.

 _Maybe it smells weird?_

She shook her head at the silly thought. She had smelt the soup before she left and it had seemed fine then.

 _But then again… maybe soup expires quickly…_

He finally brought the soup up to his mouth and swallowed, his eyes lighting up a bit.

"This is good." He stated, and she felt another blush light on her face. She watched as he carefully sipped the rest, feeling satisfaction run through her.

 _He does like it! Then what was wrong before?_

She shook her head, glancing back towards him as he continued to slowly eat.

 _Most likely nothing, he might just need to be careful of what he eats until he's completely better._

She glanced back at the viewing port, feeling like she could get lost in those stars as she had so many times staring down at Earth. She glanced back at Inaho, another blush rising on her face as she did so.

 _Only this time he's with me._

He smiled over at her and she did the same, feeling love rise up in her.

 _I hope things can just stay like this. The both of us together… forever…_

* * *

 **So another chapter! Not quite sure if I made the characters act correctly in this chapter but I've been struggling writing this chapter for some reason. Any tips on how to get back into writing this? I know that reading other people's fanfictions sometimes helps but I haven't had much time to do that lately. Also, I'm having some issues writing the next chapter where Inko and Asseylum are talking. Any tips on writing Inko as well? I hope you all enjoyed despite the shortness. Until the next update, have a great day!  
-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	8. Chapter 7

**unafraid:** Thanks for the suggestions! They certainly helped!

 **Majin-kun:** Will try to be more 'reactive' for Inaho than instigating. Most characters I tend to write are the instigators so it's a bit hard but I will try my best!

 **Danny Barefoot:** I think I haven't been too clear in what I wanted to achieve with the Earth-Mars war. My original thought was that the war still ended since they defeated the Martians. The Terrans are just waiting to see if there will be another counterattack.

 **Riska Kuruta404:** I'll try to make the chapters longer as well as update as fast as I can. :)

 **Logan96:** I try to update at least once a month around my college schedule so mostly I post chapters within the first few days of the beginning of the month.

* * *

Chapter 7

"That was really nice what you did for him the other day." Inko stated and Asseylum glanced over at the girl, who was now quickly becoming her friend. She felt a blush rise on her face as she realized what the girl was talking about.

"You saw that?" Asseylum asked as they sat again on the bench outside Inaho's room. He was currently at physical therapy with the doctor watching his progress. Inko nodded, a small smile on her face.

"He doesn't eat very much, so far that's all he's eaten since he woke up." She looked at the other girl in surprise.

 _That's all…?_

"But I thought that the doctors told him that he had to eat to keep his strength up…" She muttered, glancing towards the door that led into the boy's room. She heard Inko sigh, prompting her to look back over at her friend in confusion.

"They did, it's just that… he has this… _thing_ about eating…" The girl trailed off, worry clearly evident in her gaze. Asseylum looked back down the hallway, checking to see if Inaho would be back yet but eventually gave up.

 _He'll come back when he's done. Watching for him won't change the time that he comes back…_

"A… thing?" Asseylum asked, tilting her head a bit in confusion. Although she didn't really want to bring up the topic since it seemed to bother Inko, she really wanted to know what was happening with Inaho.

 _I missed so much during those two years…_

Inko nodded, biting her lip for a second before glancing over at Asseylum in determination.

"Two years ago we found Inaho, the last time we had seen you as well, and it looked really bad…" The other girl trailed off at that, almost as if lost in thought before shaking her head and continuing. "The doctors said that the only thing that had saved him was the fact that he so little food in his stomach at the time…"

It suddenly clicked together for Asseylum at that, and she nodded when Inko looked up towards her.

"So that's why…" Inko began before trailing off again, glancing at Asseylum.

"He has something against eating…" Asseylum finished, her eyes clouding up a bit. She hadn't really gotten to see what had happened with Inaho, but from what Inko said, it really seemed like it could have been the end. She startled a bit back to the present when she felt a timid hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" She glanced over at her raven-haired friend, worry in the girl's gaze. Asseylum hadn't even noticed that tears had begun to leak out of her own eyes and she watched as some leaked out of her friend's as well. Asseylum quickly wiped away the tears before nodding.

"Yeah it's just…" She trailed off before hearing Inko give a small half-hearted laugh.

"I know right? It was pretty scary…" The two fell into silence at that, and Asseylum glanced towards the floor, lost in thought.

 _He might not have made it… just like me…_

She startled back to the present again when she felt the weight on the bench get lighter. She glanced over at her friend to see a smile on the girl's face, with her now standing on her feet.

"Inaho!" Inko gave a wave and Asseylum quickly whipped her head around to see the boy walking towards them, crutches helping him so that he wouldn't fall.

The smile on his face was enough to make one break out on her own as well, causing her to quickly stand up as well. The boy stopped for a second to wave back before continuing to come towards them. She observed the way he was moving, noticing with satisfaction that it was much smoother than what it had been a few days prior.

 _He's steadily getting stronger…_

* * *

 **So I know, short chapter this time and I once again apologize. Not quite sure if I got everyone right this chapter either but I'm trying. Hopefully you all still enjoyed it though! Please let me know what you all thought in a review! Have a nice day!**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	9. Chapter 8

**Eramis8:** Thanks for the praise! I try as hard as I can to get these characters 'in character' when writing them. :)

 **Riska Kuruta404:** I'm glad you like it so much! A slightly longer chapter this time, by about 800 or 900 words. :)

* * *

Chapter 8

They had developed a weekly routine. Inko and her would make food on Sunday for the week, that way Inaho would have something to eat. They had both agreed that the boy would most likely avoid eating unless someone gave him something.

 _At least it's working for now…_

They would also take turns delivering the food to him, since it was fair that Inko had helped her that the girl would get to give her friend the food as well. Today was Asseylum's turn and she couldn't help the excitement that welled up in her.

 _It almost feels like back when we could just talk, just the two of us…_

A lot of the time she wished for those simple days, more now so than ever. It used to be so simple between the two of them, despite the war but she knew that things wouldn't go back to that time.

 _Besides… what we're able to talk about now isn't so bad either…_

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before tapping on Inaho's door to let him know that she was coming in before slipping through. Inaho had been transferred to a new room, now able to fend a bit for himself, for a week now and it seemed like he was adjusting well. She gave a small laugh at the realization.

 _Of course he would. He's been in a room like this before._

The room looked almost exactly like hers, except with little personal touches here and there. The room's sole occupant was currently sitting on the bed, studying something on a tablet but quickly looked up when he realized that she was in the room. A smile made its way onto his face, causing one to appear on hers as well.

"Morning Seylum." Inaho greeted and she made her way over to where he was, sitting on the chair opposite of his bed.

"Good morning Inaho! How's your day been so far?" Asseylum asked, watching as he glanced back down at the tablet before setting it down. She laid the container that she had brought with her on the table beside her, knowing that soon enough the boy would join her at the table to eat something.

 _Almost like a little ritual or promise…_

"Good so far." He stated, moving to grab the tablet again before making his way across from her to sit on the chair that was between the table that the food was on. She turned towards him as he sat down, with him laying the tablet a little way off from him. She glanced at it curiously, wondering what it was that he had been studying but decided to open the container instead.

 _I can ask him in a bit…_

"No crutches today?" She asked, pulling out the plates and small sandwiches that they had made a few days before, glad to see that they were still fresh despite being frozen for a day or so. Inaho shook his head, taking the plate that Asseylum handed him before laying it down in front of him and gesturing towards where the crutches were laying against the wall.

"The doctor said that I could walk without them now." She nodded, knowing that it must have been the other day when Inko was here that he began this. So far it didn't concern her too much, it seemed like he was strong enough to at least walk short distances with it.

 _Plus he hasn't left the room that much since we all come here to see him…_

She knew however that that would probably change since the boy was so driven. She grabbed a sandwich for herself and watched as Inaho reached for the tablet before his eyes met hers. They seemed to be asking a silent question and she nodded, a small smile on her face as she did so.

"I don't mind." _As long as I'm with you…_ Her thoughts finished the rest of the sentence as Inaho grabbed the tablet and skimmed down a page. She watched as he continued to study the page and her curiosity eventually ran out, prompting her to ask the question that had been on her mind.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you looking at?"

His gaze met hers and she moved her chair around to beside his as he held the tablet away from a bit so that she could see. The words on the screen confused her for a second before she caught a glance at the words 'cybernetic eye' and 'surgery'. She glanced over at him in confusion and he must have understood the question that she wanted to ask but didn't know how to put into words because he answered a second later, scrolling further down the screen to show a list of words and times displayed.

"I'm thinking about getting it removed." He stated, before pointing towards where the cybernetic eye was, causing her to look at it as well.

As far as she could tell, it looked no different from a normal eye and the reason for why he was getting it removed still eluded her. Her head tilted a bit to the left, watching as Inaho picked up the sandwich and took a small bite while glancing at the screen.

"Any reason why?" She asked and felt her face get a bit hot in embarrassment when he glanced at her and she felt like she had cut her question shorter than she meant to. "I mean… it's just that…" She trailed off again, not quite sure how to phrase what she wanted to ask.

"The war's over now so there's not much that it can be used for, plus…" Inaho trailed off before wincing a bit and lifting a hand towards where the implant was located before letting his hand drop away. "Yuki-nee has been insisting that I get it removed."

Asseylum didn't ask more, instead falling away into silence, his brief moment of pain worrying her. She had never thought that the device might be hurting him.

 _I guess I just don't know enough about it…_

He must have noticed her silence because he glanced back at the tablet before scrolling back up towards where the times were located and moving it a bit towards her.

"Those are the times that you can schedule for the surgery but I guess for me any time would work." She nodded as she studied the page. It wasn't like there was much that either of them could do on the ship right now.

 _With the war over and Inaho still healing, it puts a damper on what he can do. Even cooking with Inko for me is just something to pass the time…_

It was still something that she could enjoy and do so she was grateful towards her friend for the help. She watched as Inaho scrolled up the page a bit more and pointed towards the list again.

"This is a basic list of what the procedure would be and how to prepare for it." She studied the list before a small frown settled on her face.

 _I know it's unlikely, but what if something goes wrong?_

She glanced over at Inaho, noticing that he didn't seem too concerned with the procedure but she couldn't help but worry. She took a breath to steady herself, figuring that if Inaho had faith in the procedure that she should trust his judgment as well.

"I don't mean to pry but…" She trailed off, uncertainty in her voice. She didn't want to offend him somehow or make him uncomfortable with her questions. He glanced towards her and nodded to let her to continue. "Won't you miss it?"

The boy looked down at the table, his hand unconsciously going up towards his eye before he looked back up at her.

"It will take some time getting used to but we all have stuff that we miss that we can't get back."

His statement brought a lot of conflicting emotions to her mind, one of them grief. The most recent being for her grandfather, which caused him being unable to rule due to his illness.

 _What would have happened had I succeeded him? Would the Knights have even listened to me?_

She still had the hope that Vers and Earth could coexist, it might just take time. She took a breath before glancing back at Inaho, who had gone back to studying something at the bottom of the page.

 _Eventually it will be my time to take the throne and rule. That way, I can still be the connection between Vers and Earth…_

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before glancing back at the page.

"Can I look at the dates once more please?" She asked and Inaho scaled back up the page, causing her to lean in a bit closer to look at the dates one more time.

"What about this one?" She asked, pointing towards one that was a week away from the current date. "That way you'll have time to prepare but then we can all meet up before it."

The boy studied the date before nodding slightly before scrolling back down the page when an advertisement came up.

"There's something else important…" He whispered, trailing off and she glanced at him curiously before back at the screen. Nothing on it gave away what the other 'important' thing was.

"What's that?" Asseylum asked, feeling confusion run through her when Inaho shook his head before going down the page further.

"Nothing…" He trailed off again, causing her to glance back towards their uneaten food. They would just have to wait a bit longer before lunch would be finished…

She glanced up when she heard a little gasp of surprise come from Inaho. She instantly wondered if his eye was bothering him again and she glanced down at the tablet to see that he had stopped moving it.

"What's the matter Inaho?" She asked, her concern causing her to lean a bit closer to him. He glanced over at her a bit in confusion and almost as if his mind was thinking about something else.

"I just realized I need to get a birthday gift for Yuki-nee…" The boy trailed off and Asseylum struggled not let out a small laugh. It was cute the way that he remembered the little things when it came to family.

"We could always go look together." She watched as he nodded and brought up another search tab, to most likely start looking for ideas. As she continued to watch him, she couldn't help but feel her face heat up a bit.

 _Promise me that you'll never change Inaho…_

* * *

 **So I apologize for this being a few days late. I originally started pre-writing it in November but then got derailed from writing for a bit due to finals and work. But it is out technically on time. :) I tried to make it a bit longer this time and I hope that you all enjoyed it as well. Let me know if any of the characters seemed off as well please. Question for you all to guess what the answer is: What do you all actually think the other important event was? Have a great Christmas everyone and until next month! :)**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	10. Chapter 9

**Eramis8:** Glad to know that you liked it! This chapter is also a light hearted one with some humor as well. :)

 **Riska Kuruta404:** First off for the 'how the war ended?' question. As we know in this fanfiction, Asseylum never went with Klancain, hence most of the stuff at the end of the first season didn't happen. In this version, the forces of Earth were able to overcome the Orbital Knights and capture their leaders. As for your second question… let's just say we'll be seeing Slaine quite soon. :)

* * *

Chapter 9

"Do you think they even ship up here?" The question that Calm had asked was one that each occupant in the room was thinking but didn't want to voice.

"Well… I mean they ship supplies up here so a package shouldn't be too hard, right?" Asseylum turned to look at her friend, confusion on each of the girls' faces.

It was a puzzling question, what Inaho could get his sister that had also been his teacher as well. All of them had come together to try to find the perfect gift, which took long hours of planning and searching the Internet, before they had finally settled on one that she would like.

 _At least I think she will… Inaho does know her best after all…_

She glanced over at the boy in doubt, not quite used to the idea of giving presents and one such as the one they had decided to get Yuki.

"There's only one way to find out…" Inaho trailed off before submitting the order. He glanced behind him to look at his friends. "It should send me an email telling me if they can process the order or not."

They all nodded, before Calm asked another question that they had all been thinking of.

"So… how long do we have before her birthday?"

Inaho glanced at everyone in complete seriousness, glancing back at the tablet momentarily.

"About two days or so."

* * *

The present had arrived the next day, which did after all answer the question about whether or not people from Earth shipped items other than supplies into space. The more that Asseylum thought about it though, she wondered whether or not Inaho's sister would actually like the present.

 _I mean… I trust Inaho's decision it's just… it is an unusual present…_

A tap at her door alerted her to the person waiting outside her room, as she quickly made her way to allow them access inside. Upon pressing the button, which caused the door to slide open, she was felt surprise run through her at seeing Inaho, who was carrying a medium sized package.

"Inaho! What are you doing here?" She didn't mean to sound as panicked as she must have, but seeing him here without him letting her know he was coming was a bit startling. Not an unwelcome surprise by any means, it was just that she would have prepared more if she had known he was coming.

She stepped back a bit to let him in, which caused him to do so a minute later. He surveyed her room a moment, before turning to face her, showing her the contents of the box as well.

"I figured that we'd test Yuki-nee's present out." Asseylum felt confusion run through her at Inaho's statement, but she nodded anyways.

 _Don't people normally give the presents before they're used?_

She moved to help Inaho empty the box and the gift up, wondering slightly how they were going to do this.

 _I mean… why didn't he go use the kitchen instead? It has everything he would need there…_ When she inquired about her question, Inaho merely replied with,

"She could easily come into the kitchen, as well as my room. She wouldn't expect me to come here…"

Asseylum wasn't too sure how true his statement was but shrugged it off in favor of helping him with his gift. When she glanced at the clock however, she started, remembering one other important thing going on today.

"Um… Inaho?" She started, watching as he paused in his work to glance at her before she continued. "Did you tell Inko that you were coming here?"

The other girl would have been heading to his room about now to give him his lunch since it was her scheduled day…

 _And if he didn't tell her where he was going…_

The boy paused to think for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, and to be honest, I didn't really think about it." With his answer said, he went back to work, changing different settings on the machine. Worry instantly filled Asseylum for her friend.

 _Who knows what she's thinking right now…_

Asseylum looked over towards Inaho when she heard a click come from his direction. The machine seemed to be done and Inaho was inspecting his present, or at least the part that he had just finished. She was confused, however, when he moved to put the machine back inside the box, the other half of the present inside.

"Um… Inaho?" He glanced at her confused face before down at the box again. "Aren't you going to put the other half in another box?"

The boy continued with his task of packing away the machine, instead shaking his head before sealing it back up with tape.

"It'll be more interesting for her this way."

Asseylum didn't quite understand how this way would be more interesting, if anything she was more worried about how the present might get broken but she nodded, instead helping him wrap it in the paper he had brought.

 _As long as she likes it I guess that's what's important…_

* * *

Asseylum tried hard not to feel like she was invading in something personal, after all Inaho had invited her to watch as Yuki opened her gift, but she felt like this was something that was meant for family members.

 _Most of the time when I would open my gifts, it would just be my family and I'm technically not part of Inaho's family…_

She glanced over at her friend to see a small smile on his face as Yuki stared at the box in confusion. She had just unwrapped the package and was glancing at the words on the cover that stated what the present was.

"A… waffle maker?" She glanced over at Inaho in confusion, causing him to nod towards the box, indicating that she should look inside. "This was really sweet of you but, any reason why?" A small laugh escaped the woman as she pulled out the small contraption, its color a light blue with black as the metal.

"Penivia." Inaho stated, causing Yuki to look up in confusion, almost as if she hadn't heard what he had said.

"What?" She asked, confusion back on her face while Asseylum felt a small smile blooming on her own despite her own confusion. She didn't understand the joke, or at least that was what she was assuming it was, that Inaho had just made but she knew she could always ask later.

"Nothing." He stated, and Yuki gave him a glanced for a moment before she turned the waffle maker's handle, opening the end with Inaho's other present in it.

"You made me a waffle?" She asked, glancing over at her younger brother again, causing Asseylum to wonder what Inaho had been planning originally. She hadn't paid much attention to what he had put inside the waffle maker but originally it had looked like a piece of paper…

"Crack it open." Inaho stated, the small smile still on his face. Asseylum felt confusion enter her once more at his words.

 _Crack the waffle… open?_

Clearly Yuki was also confused but she complied with his wish. A moment later, confusion gave way to a small smile. From what Asseylum could see, there was a small piece of paper about the size of a bookmark inside the waffle, completely undamaged. She glanced over at the red-eyed boy in wonder.

 _How did he know how to make that…?_

She now understood his statement the day before about it being more interesting for Yuki.

 _Had he just given her the piece of paper, it would have seemed like less work had gone into it but now…_

Confusion hit her, however, when tears started to stream down Yuki's face as she looked at the slip of paper.

 _She's… crying?_

Before either of them could react, Yuki suddenly leaned over the table that was in front of them all and grabbed Inaho in a hug, surprising the boy as well. The light blush on the boy's face was the only indication that he was embarrassed, causing a light laugh from Asseylum.

"Nao-kun! That was so thoughtful of you!" The paper was still clutched in the woman's grasp, in the middle of the hug. Inaho sent Asseylum a look, as if silently apologizing for the display, the blush slightly more prominent on his face. She pointed towards the door, a smile on her own face despite her own sadness at the memories this moment brought up, before making her own way towards it.

 _The least I can do is give them some time alone…_

The door slid close behind her as silent tears fell from her eyes, memories playing over in her head. They were slightly foggy due to the age that she had been, about five or six, of when she had given her mother presents like that one. Little beads made of clay that were strung in a necklace.

 _She had the same reaction, I'm sure of it…_

Taking a deep breath, she wiped away the tears and started back towards her room. That was all in the past, nothing that she should be dwelling about at a time like now.

* * *

 **So this one's slightly longer as well (and I was going to add a bit more) but then I didn't want to ruin the mood. The part that I took away from this chapter will be released next, even though it will be short, and should hopefully be out by the end of this month. Just a heads up for all of you readers as well, college will be starting back up for me and as much as it pains me to say this, I might not be able to update once a month now (although I feel bad about not updating more than once a month as well). I'll try my best to get chapters out, but I don't want to disappoint you if one doesn't come each month. Question of the month: What do you all think happened with Slaine? I'm curious to see what you all come up with. With that note, please let me know what you all thought of the chapter! Until later this month, have a nice week!**

 **P.S.- So some of you might remember back whenever I wrote my "Learning to…" series that I said it was going to be three parts. So far I have the part with Inaho and the part with Slaine posted but the third part, the one with Klancain, is a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. The more I look back on what I wrote; I'm not very satisfied with it. I just want to know whether anyone actually cares whether or not it gets published on this site, or whether I can scrap the idea for now until I get something more concrete.**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	11. Chapter 10

**kreshryl:** Rest assured that more InahoXAsseylum will be in this fanfiction soon. :)

 **Eramis8:** You are right about the whole "Slaine gave up and got himself captured" thing, the only question left is, what could his motives be? Glad to know that you enjoyed the Inaho and Yuki-nee interactions as well. :)

 **Riska Kuruta404:** Yep, Slaine got captured by the UE forces shortly after Asseylum went with Inko and Inaho. Question is, what are his motives for being there? Yuki-nee just needs more love in this fanfiction. After all, she is the one who helped raise Inaho. :)

 **Vhosek:** It's always nice to hear from my reviewers what they think of the fanfiction. Thanks for all the praise and I'm glad that you enjoy it so much! :)

 **Onjira1998:** Thanks for the review! Don't worry if you don't have time to review, I understand that school can keep people busy. :)

 **Guest:** Thanks!

 **Iysner (Guest):** Thanks for the review! I really appreciate the support!

* * *

Chapter 10

"I'm betting it was poetry."

They all stopped eating after Calm said that, the notion of Inaho writing poetry being something that seemed foreign to them. Confusion hit Asseylum at the statement, causing her to glance at Inko, the steady commotion of the cafeteria in her ears. The black-haired girl whacked Calm lightly with the back of her hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to slightly jump.

"Have you even seen Inaho write poetry?" The question the other girl asked caused a slight silence to fall around their small table as they all thought back to their encounters with the red-eyed boy.

"Well… no… but…" The boy trailed off, causing a small laugh to emit from Inko.

"See! Although it's not entirely impossible, none of us have seen him writing any!"

"You're wrong." The statement caused them all to jump, besides Asseylum who could see Inaho standing behind Calm, a tray of food in his hands. "It wasn't poetry."

Calm's head whipped around to stare at his friend, the surprised look on his face causing a laugh to emit from Asseylum.

"When did you get there?" The question went unanswered as Inaho walked around the table and sat in the empty seat next to Asseylum, laying his tray down as he did so.

Asseylum tried to stifle the small laugh that came out of her mouth at Calm's question and Inaho's lack of an answer. Even though everyone else was curious as to what Inaho had written on the bookmark that he had given his sister, she didn't mind not knowing. It was the initial gesture that she found sweet. She turned towards the black-haired boy next to her, a bright smile on her face.

"Inaho! I-." She was caught off once she got a good look at him, surprise filling her for a brief moment. "You're… wearing an eye patch?"

The boy's hand wandered up towards where a black eye patch was covering his cybernetic implant, the item a stark difference from what she was used to seeing.

"It's what the doctors suggested." He seemed to pause for a moment before glancing over at her. "Does it seem strange to you?"

She automatically shook her head, feeling the surprise fade now that she knew the item was there.

"It's a good thing to get used to." He nodded at her statement, as if in agreement, before turning back towards Calm and Inko.

"That's in a few days, right?" Inko asked, her black hair moving as her head tilted slightly in thought. As Inaho nodded to confirm her suspicion, the girl clapped her hands together once as she seemed to think of something. "We should all throw a party once the surgery's done!"

The other occupants looked at Inko in confusion for a moment, Calm catching on faster than Asseylum, before the orange-haired boy nodded his head in agreement.

"Great idea! This way it can be a celebration of what you lost!" Calm looked over at their black-haired friend with a bright smile before he suddenly turned pensive. "But would it really be a celebration? After all..." he trailed off, deep in thought a moment later at he took a bite of an apple.

"Does that really matter?!" Inko exclaimed, her face in a slight pout before becoming a smile once more as she whipped out her tablet. "It's supposed to be a chance for Inaho to have fun!"

No one argued with that point but Asseylum felt slight worry fill her as she glanced over at the boy beside her.

"But… would he even be well enough to do that so soon after the ordeal?" She asked, watching as Inko's gaze traveled towards their mutual friend as well, worry in her own gaze now.

"Well…"

"There's no cause for worry." Inaho's voice cut into whatever Inko was going to say and the other occupants focused their gaze on the black-haired teen. "The procedure should be minor enough and the doctors say that recovery should be quick. The thing that will take getting used to the most is lack of vision."

Despite the way Inaho said the last statement, he didn't seem to be bothered by it that much. The group fell silent for a moment before Inko began to type something in on her tablet.

 _I guess he did have to get used to a lot so he must just consider this another thing that needs to be done…_

"Well that's one thing we **can** help with." Calm said with a smirk as he glanced at the other boy, the motion calming Asseylum's nerves a bit. She took a breath before releasing it a moment later, a smile back on her face.

 _We can help him adjust._

She glanced over at the boy beside her to give him another smile, one that he returned, causing her heart to flutter slightly.

"Now Inaho, which colors do you want?" The question caused the two to glanced towards Inko, who was holding the tablet out to show various decorations in an array of colors. The black-haired boy gave the tablet a slightly confused glanced before glancing away.

"Does it matter which ones?" Inko's expression became one of slight annoyance at his answer and she pushed the tablet closer to the boy.

"Of course it does! It is your party!" When the boy didn't give an answer, Asseylum smiled over at Inko, moving the tablet so that she could see the colors as well, keeping the device closer to Inaho than to her.

"Why don't we all choose? That way we can all have a say in what the party looks like." She glanced through the colors, deciding on one that might be a good one. "What about orange?"

If she remembered correctly, Calm and Inko had once told her that Inaho preferred to use the downgraded version of the newest Kataphrakt.

 _Wasn't it orange?_

Two out of three of the other occupants at the table nodded, bright smiles on their faces, causing her to glance over at Inaho when she didn't get a response from him. He still seemed to be fixated on something else, causing her to glance at her friends before back over at the boy.

"Inaho?" He still didn't seem to hear her, causing her some amount of concern. She laid her hand on his shoulder, her gaze trying to locate what he was so fixated on. "What's-?"

Her gaze caught on to what he was looking at when she saw a flash of sandy-blonde hair on the TV located in the middle of the cafeteria, causing her voice to cut off. Her heart skipped a beat and she found herself leaning forward in her seat in fear, staring intently at the screen. She didn't bother to read the caption under the live-video, her mind recognizing her first Terran friend easily.

 _Slaine?_

Sure enough, her friend looked the same as she had last seen him, despite the bruises and cuts on the boy's appearance. His uniform as well seemed to be in disarray, causing confusion to enter her.

 _How…?_

Her mind thought back to what Inko had told her while they were waiting for Inaho outside the recovery room.

" _ **The war's over. The world will need time to heal from what happened."**_ Asseylum hadn't taken into account what that could have meant. If the Terrans were alright, she had supposed that Vers had lost the war.

 _But…_

She hadn't thought about what it would have done to those involved, too busy worrying over Inaho and trying to get life back to some sense of normalcy. Her thoughts were drawn to her half-sister, pink hair flashing in her mind.

 _If Slaine's been caught, then where is she?_

Her vision was drawn back to the screen to notice that multiple guards seemed to be surrounding him, guarding him as they walked him towards an unknown destination.

 _What are they doing?_

It became clear in her mind when all the guards surrounded her blonde friend, guns being raised slowly. She felt her breath hitch and she automatically stood up, her brain feeling as if everything was slowing down.

 _They're going to-!_

Her gaze focused on the projection of her friend's face as the camera zoomed in as she took a step towards the device. Sure enough, he held himself bravely, with only a hint of fear and regret that only she seemed to be able to detect. She focused on his lips as they moved, reading what he said, knowing that it was meant for her.

" _ **Look away."**_

The words had been said to her so many years ago when they were younger and she had witnessed a video of Terrans hunting on the tablet that she and Slaine had used to look up information on. It had been right whenever they were going to kill an animal that he had said those words, and since she hadn't due to being too paralyzed with fear, he had covered her eyes with his hands, shielding her from the violence.

 _No…_

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes as she took an involuntary step away from it all. She tried to avert her gaze but found that once again, she couldn't.

 _There's no one here now to shield me from it…_

Through her blurry gaze she saw a figure turn in her direction, breaking her gaze away from the TV, as maroon eyes stared into her own. The blurry figure moved, the only clear thing being his eyes, and she found herself breaking eye contract and stepping farther away from the table.

 _It's not right…_

Other people began to get up, this time instead though reacting very differently from the way she was, as they stared at the TV. Some of their hands were raised in the air while others were clapping and shaking their friends' hands.

 _They're cheering…_ Her mind didn't seem to be able to process the information, causing her to take more steps away from it all. _They're celebrating the death of another human being…_

She took one last fractured glance at the screen before turning around and escaping through the door. She did the one thing that she could in this situation: run. Despite moving away from the area, the shouting and celebrating still reached her ears, causing her to run faster. She dodged around a corner, not quite sure where she was running anymore, missing a figure by inches as she dashed away.

"Milady!" The surprised shout that came from the smaller figure caused her to realize that it was Eddelrittuo.

Despite knowing that it was her friend, she couldn't bring herself to stop, running right past her handmaiden and into the nearest space that she could find. The door hadn't opened fast enough for her, causing her to push on it as it swung open instead. The door swung closed behind her, the mechanism fixing itself at the unexpected function of the item, catching the hem of her dress in the process. The unexpected resistance caused her to lose her footing and fall to the ground, the fabric tearing as she did so. Through her blurry vision, she glanced back at the torn fabric, ripping the rest of it out of the door, before leaning against the wall. She couldn't bring herself to get back up and go somewhere else. Two sides of her warred inside her, one as a ruler and the other as a friend.

 _His actions caused this…_ Despite the harsh thought, the tears wouldn't stop and she wiped away at them angrily. _But he was still my friend…_

She flinched at that, trying to get the cheers out of her head, trying to think rationally about the whole situation. She couldn't get the image out of her head, and she placed her hands over her ears to try and block out the distant noise. A single thought managed to make its way into her head as the sound faded.

 _If it had been me, would they be cheering like that?_

* * *

 **The chapter is finally here! Sorry once again for it taking so long! I won't try and excuse my tardiness this time; at least the chapter is out now. I hope you all had a great finish for the school year and are enjoying the start of summer! So, what did you all think? The chapter started out innocent enough, talking about parties and poetry, but then took a slightly darker tone. In case you all are curious, the mention of backstory between Slaine and Asseylum wasn't in the show, I just happened to include in there for this story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long to get out. :) Please let me know what you all thought!**

 **Question of the chapter: Do you think Inaho could write poetry? (Note: I know that most of the questions have something relevant to the story, but I'm curious as to what you all think.)**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


	12. Chapter 11

**Eramis8:** You are correct about that, especially since the show was centered around a war.

 **lysner (Guest):** I could see that happening too. Thanks for the input and answering the question! :)

 **Vhosek:** Interesting thought. I do have to agree with you on that, especially since Inaho always has a specific reason for doing something. :)

 **Riska Kuruta404:** Lemrina should be popping up in this fanfiction at some point. I say _should_ because I have plans for her, I'm just not entirely sure where exactly she pops up yet. :)

 **KingPlotBunny:** Thanks for the review! He is rather short and to the point most of the time, isn't he.

 **Yuzuriha Kaizen:** Don't worry about how the war ended. We'll get to that soon enough. :)

 **Lady Rini:** Thanks for your thoughts! Feel free to comment whenever you want!

* * *

Chapter 11

"Seylum?" The soft whisper of her name caused her to be brought back to consciousness, the only light from the cracked open door. Her mind instantly recognized the voice, despite the figure being hidden by shadows.

"Inaho?" She whispered back, trying to wipe away the dried tears that were left on her face.

The sound of cheering seemed to be well over, at least as far as she could tell, the only sound that she could hear being breathing. She saw the figure move closer to her, could tell that he was crouching in front of her, so close that she could reach out and touch him. She tried to locate where his maroon eyes would be, feeling his gaze on her.

"Are-," He began before cutting off a moment, as if in hesitation. "-are you ok?"

At his statement, she shook her head, only a moment later realizing that he couldn't see her movement. Letting out a shaky sigh, she focused on where his figure would be, a picture of him appearing in her mind a moment later.

"Is it-." She cut off, not being able to continue further for fear of breaking down once more. There was a moment of silence before she felt the presence next to her instead of in front of her.

"It's over." The matter-of-fact words still caused her to flinch and she took another breath.

"Oh…" There wasn't really more that she could say, knowing what had happened. She tried to control the shaking of her hands, clasping them together as hard as she could seemed to help a bit. Silence descended upon the room for a moment, the light from outside the door being the only source of light.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The whispered question made her shake her head, despite him not really being able to see her that well. No she didn't really want to talk but she found herself talking anyway.

"H-he was my friend…" She found that tears were falling at the small phrase, one that held so much more meaning for her now.

 _If only there was something that I could have done…_

She looked down in surprise to find another warmth, one different from her own, on her hands. She could feel two more hands circling her own ever so gently, as if afraid that she would break if handled without care. She glanced over at the boy next to her, could tell that he was staring at her as well.

"I know, but things will get better." That simple phrase caused a sharp intake of breath from the blonde-haired princess, finding that they broke something inside her. Something that she had been hiding for a long while…

 _Grief…_

The feeling wasn't something that was new to the girl. It had been a constant emotion throughout her life, but until now, she had never acted on it. She had to be strong for her country, for the future of Vers…

 _But here, it's just the two of us…_

She found herself crying again, a dam of tears coming out of her eyes, and she leaned up against Inaho unconsciously, curling in on herself to try and erase the pain. The teen merely held her to the best of his ability, silently reassuring her that everything would be alright.

* * *

"Nao-kun! Geez where could he have gone?" Yuki muttered the question as she glanced around the hallway. Just like everyone else she had seen the execution, and although the war seemed to be over, she couldn't help feeling concerned at the fact that her younger brother had left the room.

 _Does he know something that we don't?_ The question popped into her head as she continued her search. It was possible after all. Inaho was a genius. _But then, why am I so worried?_

She knew that she should have been overjoyed at the prospect of the war ending, and in a way she was.

 _But it's all he's ever known. Is he going to be able to live a normal life despite all this?_

She would try to help the best she could but there was only so much she could do, and so much that he would listen to. The world would recover from the war, and hopefully so would they. It would just take time…

"Nao-!" She cut herself off as she pushed the last door in the hallway open, surprise filling her.

Despite the dark room, the light filling in from the hallway allowed her to see the shadows of two figures. Her eyes automatically searched for her brother's, his maroon ones staring back at her. A smile lit up on her face as she realized just who it was that the black-haired boy was with, and the fact that she seemed to have surprised the teen, which was evident from the light blush on his face.

"She fell asleep." It was a matter-of-fact answer in the way that her brother usually answered things. Just like her brother, and yet…

 _I'm not going to let him off so easily…_ The smile widened as a small flash came from the phone at her side, capturing the secret moment in its archives.

* * *

 **So I know that it's been forever and this shorter chapter probably doesn't make up for the time difference that it took me to write it but I'm sorry. I didn't plan to leave this go so long! I just haven't had any time to write lately! I realize that's not really any excuse but I hope you can forgive me!**

 **Next chapter: Look forward to Yuki-nee's interrogation! :)**

 **-AnimeWolfGirl16**


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